Happy Sunday!

I got  up early this morning (5 a.m.!) to see our Jr. High students off on their mission trip.  As I watched the activity around the bus and all of the food and drink that was being packed I thought of today's Gospel.

"Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.  He instructed them to take nothign for the journeybut a walking stick - no food, no sack, no money in their belts.  They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic."

There is a tale of among the Hasidim that challenges our tendency to weigh ourselves down on our journey. 

An American tourist visited the home of a famous Polish rabbi.  The visitor was astonished that the rabbi’s home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a bench.  “Rabbi,” asked the tourist, “where is your furniture?”  “Where is yours?” inquired the rabbi.  “Mine,” replied the puzzled American.  “But I am only passing through.”  “So am I,” said the rabbi, “so am I.”